Seaming machine



F. E. cLlFT SEAMING MACHINE Filed April 29. 192.6

Feb. 2s, 192s.

of WENTZ?? B! ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 28, 1928.

UNITED stares i tease Arat sri-ica FREDERICK ERNEST CLIFT, OF BROOKLYN, ll'E YORK, .AS-SIGNOR `TO ADVANCE 'M-l.- CHINE WORKS, LNG., F BROOKLYN, NEVI YORK, A ,CORPORATION OF NEVI YORK.

SE'AMING MACHINE.

My invention relates to seaming machines, and more particularly to machines such as disclosed lin United States patent to Ross, No. 1,469,334v for fixing the ends or 'heads o f cans to the sides or bodies thereof.

l-leretofore when the cans of certain shapes, for example, cans long and narrow in horizontal cross section, have been made in machines of the character referred to, it vhas frequently been found that the seam was not tightly closed lat certain points. v

One object of the invention is to improve such machines so as to avoid the production ofdefective seams.y Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for adjusting the seaming mechanism without interfering with the accuracy of the opera tion thereof. i

Other objects, features and advantages will appear more fully in the following` detailed 4description and appended claims.

The drawings forming a part of this specification illustrate one embodiment of the invention. vIn the drawings JFigure 1 is a topplan'view of a part of thehead of a seaming machine; and

Figure 2 is a sideelevation of the same,v

partly in section.

The can or other article operated upon is supported upon :a table or b ase (not shown) which may be constructed and .arn ranged as shown inthe aforesaid patent to Ross, No. 1,469,334. The head of the machine contains a member 1.0 which hasv `a chuck portion 11 to hold the `can body and end assembled while being operated upon. rEhe member is carried fa stud 12 forming `a iin-ed or stationary part of the machine'. Rotatively mounted upon thev member 10 and stud 12 isa disc ,or head Amember 14. At spaced points around the member 14 are varranged sets of devices for controlling the seaming tools.. AExcept for the tools per se, the devices referred to Vare identical, and I .shall accordingly describe only one of these devices.

Lever 15 Yarranged on the under side of the rotatable member 14 is supported from that member ,by the verticalvpivot 1.6 which passes into the .member 14 vand is secured in place 4by nut 117 and lockvr nut 18,. -The vfree :end .of lever 15 carries, La `roller ,'19 adapted to run in a cam groove '20`in Ythe bottom ofthe member y10. VThis groove is made to conform to the outline o-f Vthe can,

sot-hat when the disc or movable head meinber 14 rotates about the stud 12, the roller followsr a path coinciding with the outlineA of a lever which basa vertical pivot portion 28 extending through the v.rotatable head member 14 and which has secured to the upper end Vthereof lever arm 29. 'The arm 29 carries a rotatable follower 30 which is arranged to coact with a cam `31. The block 26 is made adjustable in order to permit adjustment of the position of the tool withrespect to the work. To this end the block is carried by adjusting screw 31 rotatable in lever arm 27. A lock nut 32 y serveslto h o'ld the screw 31: Vand the block 26 in position with respect to the lever arm 27. The various tools 24 aredesi'g'ned and arranged toeffect the desired shaping of the metal to form the seam between the head and'body. For example, when three of these tools are used, the first maybe employed to effect a preliminary turning` down of the met-al at the seam, the second to perform an intermediate shaping and the third to finish the seam, all as more fully described in the Therother end of the aforesaid patent to Ross.' lDuring the rotation of the head member 14 the tools 24 to; gether with the levers 22 supportingthe same take their general direction of movement from the lever 15 `whereby the tools 24 are caused to move in approximate coincidence with the contour lof the article to .be seamed. The actuation of the tools whereby they are caused to change the shape of the metal is imparted thereto'by the action of cam 31V on levers 29, 27 whereby the tool supporting levers 22 are shifted upon their pivots 21 so as to'move the tools towards the articleibeing operated upon. Y

The head member 14 is provided with a gear 34 which is secured'to the said mem`` ber and may be rotated by suitable mechan'ism k(not shown), forv example, as rshown in the said patent to Ross. In order to Veffeet the movement of levers29 'the cam 31, the said cam is provided with a gear 35 which may be rotated with respect to head member 14 by suitable mechanism (not shown), for example, as shown in the said patent to Ross.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that as the tool 24.4 is moved inwardly by movement of the tool carrying lever 22 aboutits axes 21 during the formation of the seam, the tool moves approximately in a straight line extending from the axis of the tool `to the vertical axis of the can or other article operated upon, the pivotal axis of the lever 22 and theaxis of the tool being arranged in a vertical plane substantially at right angles to the plane passing through the axes of the tool and of the article. This results in the formation of a very tight seam. It will also be noted that the pivotal axes of the levers 22 and 15 and the axes of the roller 19 and tool 24 are in the same vertical plane when lever'22 is in its normal position directly under lever 15 and that movement of the lever 22 about its axis causes the tool to move directly towards or away from the vertical axis of the article being operated upon.

The bearing surface 25 on the lever' 22 is,

as shown, in the shape of a vertical semi` cylinder having its axis located 1n coincidence with the pivotal axis of the lever 15 when the lever 22 is in its normal position directly under the lever 15. As a result of this arrangement oscillation of the lever 15 about its pivotal axis as the roller follows the contour of the groove 2() necessitates no change in position between lever arm 27 and.

the tool supporting` lever 22. The bloclr 2G has a flat bearing surface in engagement with the bearing member 25 so that these surfaces have an extended contact with each other and there is no objectionable wear between them. The part 25 and the adjusting block 26 may Vbe made of suitable wear-resisting material such as tool steel. Adjustment of the block 26 with respect to the arm 27 causes the block to move in a line which extends through the axis of the bearing 25 when the lever 22 is in its normal position under lever 15 so thatthe positioning of they tool 2a is effectively accomplished by such adjustment. I have found that by employing adjustingmeans described, objectionable wear is avoided and the parts may be easily maintained in proper relation to each other.

In opera-tion, rotation Aof the head 14 and of the cam 31 causes the tools 2-tto fnove along the seam betweenl the .body and end of the can and to close down the seam in the manner described in the aforesaid patent to Ross.` I have found that even where the article operated upon is of unusual shape,

` such as a wide can ofslight thickness, a

tight seam is effectively produced, and that readily made.

It is to be understood that modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims may be made without depart-ing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Whatl claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent tf the United States is:`

1. The combination of a seeming tool, a supporttherefor, means for guiding said support to move said tool in approximate coincidence with thecontour of the article to be seamed, and means for shifting said support to cause said tool to move substantially in a line extending from the tool to the axis of the article to perform a seaming operation.

2. The combination of a seaming tool, a

lever supporting the same, means for guid-` ing said lever to move said toolin approxinlate coincidence with the contour` of the article to be seamed, and mear-.s for shifting said lever to cause said tool to move substantially in a line extending from the tool kto the axis `of the article to perform :1 seeming operation. y 3. The combination of a seaming tool, a support therefor, means including a lever carrying said support andacam coacting with said lever for guiding said support .to move said tool inapproximate coincidence with the contour of the article to be seamed, and means for shifting said support 'to cause said tool to move substantially in a line extending from the tool to the axis of the article. Y 4. The combination of a support for an article to be seamed, a seaming tool, a `lever supporting said tool, means for guiding said lever to move said tool in approximatecoinlili) cidence with the contour of" the article, the i pivotal, axis of said lever and the axis of said tool being arranged in a plane substantially at rightangles to the planer passing through the axes of the tool and of the article, and means for shifting said lever about its pivotal axis. c A e 5. The combination of a support for an article to be seamed,.a seaming tool, a lever supporting said tool, a'second lever supporting said tool `supporting lever for pivotal movement about `an axis intermediate its article to be s'eamed, a seaming tool, a lever supporting said tool, a second lever supporting said tool supporting lever for pivotal movement about an axis intermediate its ends, means coacting With said second lever for guiding said levers to move said tool in approximate coincidence with the contour of the article, the pivotal axes of said levers and the axis of said tool being substantiallyl f' article.

7. The combination of a support for an article to be seamed, a seaming tool, a vlever supporting said tool, a second lever supporting said tool supporting lever for pivotal movement about an axs intermediate its ends, means coacting with said second lever for guiding said levers to move said tool in approximate coincidence with the contour of the article, the pivotal axes of said levers and the axis of said tool being substantially in the same plane located substantially at right angles to the plane passing through the axes of the tool and the article, means including a cam and a lever actuated thereby for shifting said tool-supporting lever' about its pivotal axis to move the tool towards the article, and means including an adjustable member carried by said cam actuated lever and coacting With said tool supporting lever for adjusting said tool With respect to the article.

8. The combination of a seaming tool, a support therefor, means including a lever for guiding said support to move the tool in approximate coincidence with the contour of the article to beseamed, said support having a bearing surface curved about an axis normally substantially coincident With the pivotal axis of said guiding lever, andmeans for shift-ing said support relatively to said guiding lever, said last named means including an adjusting member coacting With said bearing surface. n

9. The combination of a seaming tool, a lever supporting the same, means including a. lever for guiding said tool supporting leverl te move the tool in approximate coincidence with the contour of the article to be seamed, said tool supporting lever having a bearing surface curved about an axis normally substantially coincident With the pivotal axis of said guiding lever, and means for shifting said'tool supporting lever relatively tof-said guiding lever, said last named means including an adjusting member oacting with said bearing surface.

l0. The combination of a seaming tool, a lever supporting the same, means including a lever-for guiding said tool supporting lever to move the tool in approximate coincidence with the contour of the article to be seamed, said tool supporting lever having a bearing surface curved about an axis normally substantially coincident with the pivotal axis of said guiding lever, and means for shifting Asaid tool supporting lever relatively to said guiding lever, said last named means including an adjustable` bearing bloclrl coacting with said bearing surface.

l1. The combination of` a seaming tool, a lever supportingthe same, means including a lever for guiding said tool supporting lever to move the tool in approximate coincidence with theV contour of the article to be seamed, said tool supporting lever having a cylindrical bearing surface curved about an axis normally substantially coincident With the pivotal axis of said guiding lever, and means for shiftf ng said tool supporting lever relatively to said guiding lever, said last named means including an adjustable bearing block having a lat bearing surface'in engagement with said cylindrical bearing surface.

12. The combination of a seaming tool, a lever supporting the same, means including a lever for guiding said tool supporting lever to move the tool in approximate coincidence with the contour of the article to be seamed, said tool supporting lever having a cylindri- `cal bearing surface curved about an axis normally substantially coincident With the pivotal axis of said guiding lever, and means for shifting said tool supporting lever relatively to said guiding lever, said last named means including an adjustable bearing block having a flatv bearing surface in engagement f with said cylindrical bearing surface, saidl block being adjustable in a line extending substantially through the pivotal axis of said guiding lever.

In testimony whereof, l have signed my name to this specification.

FREDERICK ERNEST CLIFT.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECNON.

Patnt No. L664L547. Granted February 28, w28, to

FREDERICK ERNEST GUET.

it s hreby certified that he assignee is) the above numbered paent was ermmwusly described and spacified as "Advance Machine Wrks, im. Whereas Said assgfsee smuld have been deserbed and specified :as "Adriame-Machime Works, 5.1m", as shown by th@ mam@ of assignmenffs in this ffi; and hat the said Letters Patent should be read with his cmrectm theimm ffhat the Same. may conform to the remore! of the case in the Patent @Nicea Signed and sealed this 17th day of Apr, A. NZS.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

